Chris Crossed (One-Shot)
by Kimojuno
Summary: Today was not the day to mess with Chris; not the day the last of his family died. No, not on the day his wife and daughter were killed. He needed his family. Too bad they didn't exist yet. Maybe they could exist? Maybe he just needed to be honest. Not too honest, of course; no, they couldn't know who he was...but, maybe, they could know a little of what he has been through?


Chris had been feeling rather lonely lately. He walked into the club, P3, and looked around. He saw the sisters at their usual table. He smirked, _Why not_, he thought. He figured he deserved a little relaxation time and today, of all days, he couldn't be alone.

He walked over and sighed, "Mind if I, uh," he hesitated, "sit down?" He asked the sisters and Leo. Phoebe and Piper shared a look, seeming confused, and Paige and Leo did the same. Piper finally spoke up, "Uh, sure, go ahead."

Chris nodded, sitting on a chair, "Thanks," he sighed again. "So," he began, "What's, uh, new?" He had no idea how to do this. Conversation 101 wasn't exactly his forte, nor was it a high priority in life as a member of the resistance, nor its leader.

Phoebe shrugged, "Same old, same old, Chris?" Paige smirked, "So, why the sudden interest?" Chris sighed, "Just trying to forget what day it is, I suppose," he looked down at his water bottle, taking a sip.

Piper looked confused, "What day it is?" A good few minutes of silence passed and Chris finally spoke up, "Well," he softly said, "today is the day the last of my family died." He took another swig of water, "It's also the day I swore off alcohol," he laughed.

Leo, who had remained quiet, and never particularly trusted Chris, finally spoke up, "I'm sorry, Chris." Chris nodded, "Truthfully, I know I'm a taskmaster but I'd just rather change the future so it never has to happen. If I have to be rude, I'd rather you hate me and our lives be better, then be nice and nothing changes." He takes another sip of his water, "God, it's times like this I miss the good stuff."

Paige placed her hand on Chris' and smiled as he looked at her, "I know how you feel, but you have to remain strong." He nodded his head, "I'm sorry," he said, "I shouldn't be telling you this."

Piper also placed a hand over Chris' hand, "Chris," she said gently, "We all need people we can talk to." He sighed, looking at Piper, who was not his mother in this time, and decided to go for it, "Alright," he said, "Well, a year before I came here, future time of course," he paused, seeming to need a minute as he gulped, "My wife and daughter were murdered." A collective gasp was heard from the group. Phoebe and Leo also made a move to touch and comfort Chris. Paige was also rubbing his back, which she seemed to be doing unintentionally.

He nodded his head and then, reaching into his front left pants pocket, pulled out an old wallet. It was pink with sparkles, "My wife and I had just gotten our daughter this. We figured it would help her with counting; you know? The money and all," he sighed again. He opened it up and revealed an old photo, which was still in relatively good shape. It showed Chris, a woman next to him, and a young girl in between them. The backdrop was the golden gate bridge.

Chris looked at it, thumbing its protective casing, "We never got to give it to her," he sighed with tears forming in his eyes. He sighed again, "I'll do anything to get them back, even if it means changing the timeline. That's why I'm doing this; to save my family. By saving Wyatt, by making sure he's never turned," he looks back at Piper, "because, trust me Piper, he _was _turned, then everyone else is saved. Included Bianca and Paige," Paige gasped here.

Chris, realizing what he said, shakes his head, "Named after you, yes," he smirks, "should have used her middle name there, Chris," he comments to himself. Paige chuckles, "So, you know us then? In the future, I mean." Chris nods, "My parents know you or, rather, _will_ know you." Paige nodded her head, "So, why did you name your daughter after me?

Chris chuckles, _Might as well tell them – at least, as much as I can_, Chris thinks to himself. He then speaks, "Well, eventually, you become Bianca's whitelighter. Her family is a coven of witches that can either be good or evil; a majority choosing evil, while working with demons. You manage to help Bianca choose good." Paige nods, thinking that sounded like something she'd probably do.

Chris continues, with everyone watching the unusually-talkative man, "She eventually moves into the manor, in order to escape her family," he sighs here, looking down again, "unfortunately, her family comes after her. The three of you," he looks at Piper, "manage to vanquish a good portion of them. Of course, this is tough on Bianca, since she was a child." Piper nods, figuring it would be.

Chris sighs, "Anyway, while living at the manor, she eventually meets my family. Remember, my family will know you three." All four collectively nod and Chris continues, "With this in mind, she meets me. At this point, she and I hate one another. Keep in mind though, we're children and believe in cooties." Phoebe snorts, "Typical," she responds.

Chris laughs; an honest-to-goodness laugh, "Yeah. Well, eventually, we finally admit our feelings for one another." He sighs here, "During this time, the world is already falling apart." He sighs again, feeling like it's getting to be too much. Phoebe, being an empath, squeezes his arm. Chris smiles at her, nodding his appreciation.

"Obviously, we got married and had Paige." He looks to Paige, "We named her after you because you helped deliver her." Paige smiles, "Really?" Chris nods his head, "Bianca and I were visiting you, when she went into labor. She was three weeks early. It didn't look good but you helped her pull through it." Paige, still smiling, went to hug Chris. He didn't pull away, which sort of surprised her but who was she to argue?

Chris, looking back down at the photo, still subconsciously stroking the protective cover, "To say I was scared would be an understatement; I was terrified," he laughs again, "but, thankfully, my daughter, Paige, was born without any serious complications."

Piper looked up, "Serious?" Chris nods his head, "Due to her being born early, the hospital had to keep Bianca and Paige under watch. The homebirth, although unexpected, did not help either." He sighs but then smiles, "She was thin and it _was_ touch and go, but she recovered and was very healthy afterward."

No one wanted to interrupt Chris. How do you interrupt a parent talking about a child that died; let alone a _husband_ talking about his diseased wife? Chris shook his head, clicking his tongue some, "Well, Paige was five years old when she and my wife were murdered. She would have been six." Phoebe gasped, "Tomorrow's her birthday?" Chris nodded his head, tears falling now, "Obviously, I don't celebrate it. I couldn't. Not after what happened." Piper solemnly nodded her head, thinking how she would feel if Wyatt was murdered. How could she celebrate his birthday? She couldn't.

Chris silently thought for a good few minutes and, finally, spoke up, "If I seem like a hardass sometimes, it's because I can't let myself feel. It just hurts so much, _too much_, knowing what people are going through in the future. Kids are starving, parentless. Men and women starving, forced to tell their children, the few that are left, that there is no more food." He sighed, looking toward Leo, "You once asked why I came back?" Leo just nodded, not even sure what to say now.

Chris rubbed a hand through his hair, "I'm their leader. I'm all they have. My own _family_ is dead and, yet, everyone else expects _me_ to save them. That's a lot to bare alone, but I _have to_, because I'm all they have." Phoebe just remained silent. It was painfully obvious, even weeks ago, that the Charmed Ones, her sisters and her, were dead in the future. None of them had to ask. There was no reason to.

Paige rubbed circles on Chris' back, "I'm sorry," she said, "I'm sorry." Chris nodded, tears still falling, as they slowly refilled his water bottle, "I just feel so useless. I've been back here longer than I thought I would be. I've killed a good amount of demons; hell, I've vanquished most of them. I've taken out _a lot _of them who killed a lot of good people. People who died before their time, but there's still more out there. _A lot more_," he added.

He then looked towards Piper, "I know you don't like the 3:00AM vanquishes, but you have to admit I don't do them that often," he chuckled, "but, every vanquish I plan has a reason behind it." He sighed and continued, "I'm just concerned that by revealing too much, it will change the future. For example, if by telling you something that seems small, like this, changes the future too much we may never be able to _save_ Wyatt. Destiny is very fickle about these things."

Leo nodded, knowing Chris was correct, and realizing he had been unfair to the poor whitelighter. He thought about his own family. What would he be willing to do for _his family_? Anything; anything it took.

Chris sighed once more, feeling even more tired than he had in days, "Truthfully, some of my memories are changing." He kept staring at Piper, "For example, Phoebe is still alive. That demon I had the three of you vanquish last week? The slimy green one that only comes out late at night, on the third Tuesday of every month?" Piper nodded, "It killed Phoebe." Chris nod, "It did; now, she's alive."

Phoebe chuckled, "Wow," she said. She didn't know what else to say. Chris nodded his head, "Yeah," he said gently. He looked over to Phoebe, "That's why I'm having you guys vanquish certain demons. Not all of them turn Wyatt, but we need a backup plan, and I figure having the three of you alive in the future, for as long as possible, is certainly a worthy backup plan." Piper nodded, seeing the logic in it. If they couldn't save Wyatt, at least the Charmed Ones could be alive. Not much of a future, really, but at least it's better than dying early.

Chris sighed, "I didn't tell you all this because, really, who wants to know how they die?" Paige nodded, "True," she quipped.

Chris chuckled, understanding Paige's sarcastic and sometimes-dry humor, "I, also, just didn't want to make the three of you fear your own futures. Nothing set in stone, not even the future. We can change the future, and we _will_ change it. Alright?" All four of them nodded their heads, speechless but ready. They got as much as they needed from Chris, really. They now saw him not as their _bitchy whitelighter_, but as a human; a father, a husband, trying to save his family. _That_ they could understand. _That_ they could look up; in fact, they already did.

Piper spoke up, "Wait, what about the demon that killed Bianca and Paige?" Chris smiled, looking to Piper, "That demon doesn't exist yet," he said, "And," he looked back to the picture, "I'm hoping it never does; because, quite frankly, I'd rather not have to lose them. Piper nodded her head, but didn't fully understand, "For what it's worth," she touched his shoulder, "I hope so too and, I'm sorry. I've treated you badly."

Chris smiled, a real and true smile, "Thank you Piper," _Mom_, he thought, _maybe you __**are**__ in there somewhere_.

He sighed, standing up now, "I'm sorry to cut this short," he shook his head, "But, I need to sleep. It's been a long day. A _very_ long day," he looked back at the wallet, once again thumbing the protective covering, and finally placed the wallet safely back into his left pants pocket.

All four of the past-versions of his family nodded their heads. Phoebe spoke up, "Thanks Chris," she said, "for trusting us enough to share this; I know it's tough to lose family and, trust me, when I say we're do everything we can to bring your family back; to make sure they never have to die until it _really_ is their time. Your daughter deserves a full and happy life; so do you, Chris. I really mean it." Paige, Piper, and even Leo all nodded their heads in agreement.

Chris smiled another truthfully real smile, "Thank you, Phoebe, I know you all will. I want you to know, I really do want to save Wyatt, and not just to save my own family. I know he's good. I've seen it. Bianca saw it too." They all nodded; after all, Bianca lived at the manor and Chris knew Bianca as a child, and Chris' family knew the Halliwell's, so _obviously_ Chris and Wyatt knew one another.

"Oh," Paige spoke up, "Just curious about something?" Chris nodded his head, "Go ahead." Paige smirked wryly, "What's your daughter's middle name?"

Chris laughed loudly, "Alright, I'll go ahead and tell you that. She is named after my best friend." Paige nodded, "Who's your best friend?"

Chris smirked, "Who do you think?"

Piper sat forward, "Wyatt?" Chris nodded, "Even after all he's put me through, yes." He looked to Paige, "So, to answer your question, my daughter's name is Paige Wyatt." He then smiled, "Well, anyway, I really do need to lie down. Good night," he said and he actually meant it. It _really _was a good night. Even though it was **today**; the day he lost the last remaining family member. Well, at least the last one he could rely on.

As Chris entered the backroom of P3, he shut the door and pulled the cot out. He lay down and pulled out his daughter's wallet. He glossed his thumb over the protective covering, keeping his family's picture safe, "Paige Wyatt Halliwell," he said in whispered tones, "I'm going to save your uncle, and make _sure_ the world is better for you. You have my word, my precious daughter." He kissed the wallet; the only thing keeping him sane as he lived in a past where he had to daily see his family, but could never admit who he truly was.

At least, he thought, they should treat him better now. At least, he got to share his heart with someone; and, in truth, he didn't feel as lonely anymore. No, instead, he felt _alive_ again. More so than he had in a long time. Even though Christopher Perry Halliwell _had to be_ Christopher Perry, occasionally bitchy whitelighter to the Charmed Ones, he didn't feel like he was alone anymore. Not now that he had shared his heart.

So, Chris shut his eyes and drifted asleep, for he had to think that tomorrow would be a better day. He was close; he felt it. Soon, he would be reunited with Bianca and Paige; and not by death, but by a changed future. A future where his mother didn't die on his birthday, nor did she die by a demonic attack, but got to live until it was her time to die. A future where Leo was his father; not a man who hated Chris, with his entire being, but a father who _loved_ him. Yes, that was what Chris was fighting for. What he _had _to fight for; not just for himself and his family, but for the whole world. Christopher Perry Halliwell was not alone, and in this he found comfort.


End file.
